Press

This RIA’s Niche: Helping the Wrongfully Convicted Build Secure Financial Futures

Pretend you’ve been convicted of a terrible murder you didn’t commit. You’re innocent, but that’s just a detail. The verdict is guilty. The judge sentences you to 85 years in prison. After languishing 19 years behind bars, a DNA test reveals the identity of the actual perpetrator. You are exonerated and walk out of prison to a world you don’t recognize. Eventually, but not right away, the state coughs up about $8 million to compensate you for the injustice you suffered. Now what? READ MORE

Editor's Letter: Diversity and Inclusion in Wealth Management

Diversity and inclusion have been buzzwords in financial services for so long, there was a danger that they would become decoupled from the phenomenon they were meant to address—namely, the lack of inclusive diversity in finance. READ MORE

Solar, affordable rentals coming to South and West sides

A development firm with a plan to boost Black and Hispanic contractors has launched rehabs of three distressed buildings in Auburn Gresham and North Lawndale into solar-powered, affordable rentals. 

The three buildings, with a combined total of 45 units, will all use solar power to fuel lighting in common areas and support the heating and cooling systems. READ MORE

Opportunity Fund eyes $100M for solar-powered affordable housing

A local investment group took a leap this month in its sweeping plan to update and preserve thousands of units of affordable housing in Opportunity Zones across the city’s South and West sides.

548 Capital closed on a $2 million capital infusion for its Solar Chicago Fund, which would pay to acquire some 3,300 units of subsidized homes and gut-renovate them during the next three years. The fund has “soft-circled” about $20 million in non-binding funding commitments, with a goal to raise up to $100 million by the end of the year, managing partner A.J. Patton told The Real Deal.  READ MORE

Developers Break Ground On 40 Units Of Affordable Housing In Auburn Gresham

AUBURN GRESHAM — A.J. Patton and Erica Johnson fought for years to get funding from banks so they could build affordable housing in Auburn Gresham — and on Friday, they finally broke ground on an affordable apartment building.

The two were flanked by partners, colleagues, investors and public officials as they stood triumphant at the spot that will be an affordable, solar-powered apartment building at 1370 W. 79th St.  READ MORE